Spring catch for traveling bags



D Ja 27. 1925. 1,524,568

I v s. PODMAYER SPRING CATCH FOR TRAVELING BAGS Filed Jan. 4, 1924[MENTOR- 5TEPH/l/Y FODMRYEE I HA: firm/mus Patented Jan. 27, 1925.

D S. TA T ES STEPHAN PODMAYER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SPRING CATCH FOB, TRAVELING BAGS.

Application filed. January 4, 1924:.

ballwiwm it maycance'm Bge itrknown that I, S'rnrHAN PonMAYEn, a citizenof Czechoslovakia, and a resident 0f;thQ-,city=of St. Louis, inthe Stateof Missouri; and who: have declared my intention ofiflbecolning acitizen, of the United States, .inventedpa' certain new and useful Im-)lQllflmellliilll' Spring; Oatchesvfor Traveling jags otwhich thefollowing is a specification.

My: invention relates principally to spring catches or fasteners of thepivoted hook typespart-i0ularly adapted for use in retaining". the;hinged: frames of traveling bags andthe. like in closed-o1" lockedposition. It hasxfor its, principal objects to provide a strong anddin'ab le self-locking catch that willi prevent accidental opening ofthe bag, .andyto provide for ease and quickness of operation,-compactness, of design, and simplicity and cheapness of construction.ThBsllEEVGIIt-lfll'l consists: in the combination and arrangements ofparts hereinafter described and claimed.

In theaccompanying; drawing. which forms part ofthi s specification andwhere invlikel-symbols refer. to like parts where ever they occur;--

Fig.v 1 is a perspective view of a portion ofa traveling bag providedwith spring catches." embodying my invention;

Rig; 2 is; an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectiontaken through acatch and the pprtions-of the bag-frame cooperating there with,- thecatclr being shown; in its projected on'locked position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the catch being'shown in itsretracted position;

Fig; dis. a view similar to; Figs. 2 and 3, showing-the retracted catchvswung upward in itsunlocked position;

Fig. is ra horizontal sectional view on they-line. fie-5i of Fig. 3showing the underside of the; latch plate and Fig.,.- 6- is averticalcrosssection through the latch. adjacent to the pivot therefor onthegline-6-6 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, my invention is shown inconnection with the folding bag-frame A of a traveling bag or the'likeB. The bag-frame A comprises twoohail-shaped sections, 7 and 8 that aresecured: to thfiaedgescof the-opening or mouth Serial No. 684,343.

of the bag B and are pivotally secured together at their ends, as at 9.The two sections 7 and 8 of the folding bag-frame A are arranged to foldone over the other in the closed position of the frame. As shown in thedrawing,- the outer or upper section 7 of the folding bag-frame A is ofangle shaped cross-section and is bent substan,- tially into the form ofa bail. The inner or upper section 8 of the folding bag-frame is shownin the form of a strap which is disposed with its faces vertical andbent edgewise into the form of a bail.

The spring catches (3, which are alike in detail, are mounted on theouter section 7 of the folding bag-frame A, near each end thereof. Eachof these catches comprises a base plate 10 which rests on the lateral:top flange of the outer section 7 of the folding bag-frame A and isprovided at each end with depending tabs 11 that project through slotsprovided therefor in said'lateral flange and" are bent laterally beneaththe same whereby it is rigidly secured to said outer frame-section andconstitutes in effect a part thereof. Mounted on the base plate 10 is ahollow push-member or block 1 2. This block is provided on its undersidewith depending pins 13- that project through slots 14 provided thereforin; said base plate, thereby permitting limited sliding move ment of theblock thereon. The pins 13 have heads at their upper and lower endswhereby the push-block is slid a-bly secured to the outer section of thefolding bagframe'.

The base plate 10 has a lug 15 struck therefrom on its underside thatforms an abutment or stop for one end of a spring 16. whose oppositeend'is attached to one of the pins 13 that slidably connect thepushblock 12 to the base plate 10 and thereby serves to yieldably holdthe slide-block at one endof its movement.

A plate 17 has one end hinged to the hollow slide-block 12 by means of ahingepin 18. This hinge pin is disposed horizontally and extendstransversely of the slideblock whereby the hinged plate 17 is adaptedfor vertical upward swinging movement on the slide-block 12. In theclosed position of the latch, this hinged plate rests fiatwise on top.of the hollow slide-block; and has a latch armxlflon its underside thatprojects through registering slots 22 in the bagframc sections 7 and 8,thereby preventing the lateral movement required to open the bag-framesections. This latch arm projects from the underside of the hinged plateand is preferably shown in the form of a curved hooked-end latch arm orbolt which works in a vertical slot provided therefor in the base plate10. This latch arm is provided adjacent to its upper end with a notch 21adapted to straddle the adjacent edge of the slot 20 in the base platein projected position of said latch arm. The

- end of the latch arm is also provided with a shouldered portion 23adapted in the raised position of the hinged plate to abut against theunderside of the base plate and thereby limit the upward movement ofsaid hinged plate and prevent the withdrawal of the hook from the slotin said base plate as well. 7

The hinged end portion of the hinged plate is provided with a hubportion 22, having a cam surface adapted to engage the uppersurface ofthe free end portion of a flap leaf spring 24 secured at one end to theunderside of the hollow slide-block. This spring is notched orbifurcated to straddle the depending hooked-end latch arm or bolt of thelatch and is adapted to bear against the cam-shaped hub portion of thepivoted lever and thereby yieldably hold the same in its raised andlowered positions.

The latch is released by first sliding the slide-block against thepressure of the spring 16 as far as the slot and pin connection betweenthe slide-block and the base plate will permit. This action disengagesthe notch in the hooked-end latch arm from the slot provided therefor inthe base plate, thereby permitting the hinged plate to be swung upwardlya distance sufficient to permit the latch arm to be withdrawn from theregistering slots in the bag-frame sections, thereby permitting the bagto be opened. lVhen it is desired to lock the bag-frame sections,

the hinged plate is swung down into a horizontal position; whereupon,the spring 16 operates to slide the slide-block and the latch armpivotedthereon in a direction that will cause the notched portion of said armto straddle the edge of the slot in the base plate and thereby preventupward movement of said hinged plate. I

My device is applicable to folding frames generally. It is self-lockingand can be easily and quickly operated; and it serves to preventaccidental opening of the bagframe in the event that the bag is roughlyhandled or overcrowded.

The herinbefore described device admits of considerable modificationwithout departing'from the invention; therefore, I do not wish to belimited to the precise details of construction shown and described.

What I claim is:

1. A bag-frame catch comprisin a base member adapted to be. secured totie outer frame-section of a folding bag-frame and a bolt member mountedon said base member for vertical swinging and horizontal slidingmovement in registering openings in said base member and theframe-sections of said bag-frame, said bolt member being adapted in oneposition of, its sliding movement to engage said base member and therebyprevent swinging movement of the bolt member, and means forautomatically sliding said bolt into such engaged position whensaidcatch is closed.

2. A bag-frame catch comprisin a base member adapted to be secured to te outer frame-section of a folding bag-frame and a latch arm mounted onsaid base member for vertical swingin and horizontal sliding movement inregistering slots in said base member and the frame-section of saidbagframe, said latch arm having a notch therein adapted in one positionof the sliding movement of the latch arm to straddle the adjacent edgeof the slot in said base member and thereby prevent swinging movement 5of the latch arm, and means for shifting said latch arm to a posit-ionof its sliding movement adapted to bring the notch thereof intoengagement with the edge of the slot in said base member when said catchis closed.

3. A bag-frame catch comprising a pushblock adapted to be secured to theouter frame section of a folding bag-frame for horizontal slidingmovement thereon, a plate hinged on said push-block for verticalswinging movement, said hinged plate having a latch arm dependingtherefrom adapt ed in the lowered position of saidplate and in theclosed position of said bag-frame to project through registeringopenings in the frame-sections thereof, said latch arm being adapted inone posit-ion of the sliding movement of said push-block to en agesaid'bagframe in a manner adapted swinging movement of the latch arm,and means operating in (be lowered position of said hinged plate toshift said push-block lo a position of its sliding movement adapted toprevent to bring the latch arm of the hinged plate into engagement withsaid bag-frame.

4. A bag-frame catch comprising a base member adapted to be secured tothe outerframe-section of a foldin bag-frame, a push-block mounted onsaid base member for horizontal sliding movement, a plate hinged on saidpush-block for vertical swinging movement, said hinged plate havin alatch arm depending therefrom adapt in the lowered position of the plateand in the closed position of said bag-frame to project throughregistering slots in said base member and theframe-sections of said bagframe,

push-block to a position adapted to bring the notch of said latch arminto engagement with the edge of the slot in said base member. Signed atSt. Louis, Missouri this 2nd day of January, 1923.

STEPHAN PODMAYER.

